In the Weeds Book Club

In the Weeds Book Club is brought to you by Sheboygan Active Transportation in collaboration with Paradigm Coffee & Music and Mead Library.

This is a book club that is meant to get “into the weeds” on topics of interest to our community. We read thought-provoking books then meet each month for 4 months per book, to discuss the themes and examine how they might be applied to ideas and actions for the City of Sheboygan. The book is available to borrow from the library. Organizations are also invited, when appropriate, to share how ideas and impact can be made through their organization. New members are welcome anytime.

Democracy in Retrograde by Sami Sage, Emily Amick

In today’s political climate, it’s hard not to get discouraged. Isolated, doom scrolling, lacking a sense of purpose or community ... it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the dire state of American democracy and do nothing, because why try when the odds are never in our favor? At this fragile moment in history, Emily Amick and Sami Sage want to reframe civic engagement as a form of an assertion of one’s values and self-respect. This book is not just about voting, but about claiming your singular place in your country and community.

• September 11, 2025, 5:30pm - 7:30pm, PCR2
• October 9, 2025, 5:30pm - 7:30pm, PCR2

Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery

After decades of unchecked sprawl, more people than ever are moving back to the city. Dense urban living has been prescribed as a panacea for the environmental and resource crises of our time. But is it better or worse for our happiness? Are subways, sidewalks and condo towers an improvement on the car-dependence of sprawl? The award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery finds answers to such questions at the intersection between urban design and the emerging science of happiness, during an exhilarating journey through some of the world’s most dynamic cities. 

• December 11, 2025, 5:30pm - 7:30pm, PCR2
• January 8, 2026, 5:30pm - 7:30pm, PCR2

Organizers, Presenters, Facilitators, and Promoters

Braden Schmidt is a Sheboygan resident, local organizer and 'young professional' who is passionate about empowering people to create the community they want to live in.

Kate Krause is a spacemaker and community connector. She tries to remedy things she's cranky about... ope, passionate about.